Our Questers have made it into the wilderness! After arrivals on Wednesday and spending the evening with all of SAM Camp, the 10 campers and four counselors spent Thursday playing games, having a blast at the SAM Camp soccer field and bonding over what it really means to be a Quester. As the oldest group based at Saltash Mountain, these folks acknowledged that this summer will be challenging and will allow them to grow through their epic adventures.
Through their few days in camp, the Long Trail Questers made their own trekking poles, while the Classic Questers (this is the name the 3 1/2 week session has dubbed themselves) worked to perfect their canoe strokes on Lake Ninevah. On Friday morning, the SAM campers left camp for cabin trips and the Questers got busy prepping for their journey. While gathering group gear, making gallons of GORP (achieving the perfect chocolate chip-to-raisin ratio), and packing container after container of various dinner ingredients, Questers worked hard to make sure they had all of the items they needed before leaving Saltash Mountain for their respective starting points.
The group spent their last night in camp making patches that symbolized what they were bringing to the group and what they wanted to get out of the summer. They built a fire and shared what each patch meant before they pinned them to their packs. On Saturday morning they set off; the Classic Questers headed to Rangeley State Park in Maine and the Long Trail Questers aimed for the trail head in Massachusetts. We will see the groups again in just a few days when we take them resupplies of food to keep them happy and healthy. I will be sure to share some stories with you about their adventures during those quick reunions!
MaggieMae, Questers Coordinator